Dennis Wick 1L

pulseczar · Post by **pulseczar** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:09 am

I just came from a Synergy Brass Quintet show and they had Dennis Wick mouthpieces on display in the foyer. I picked up a 1L, tried it and got a fatter and more rounded buzz from it than my PT50. That got me thinking how would that buzz sound on my PT6.

So the main question is has anybody tried the Wick 1L on a PT6 or any 5/4+ horn and if so, how was it?

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:25 am

I like the 1XL on a Miraphone 191 ... if you consider that a 5/4 horn. The Faxx Helleberg has slightly more bawlz on the low end. But the difference is small, and I have more control on the upper end with the 1XL. Both give a sound with good weight without being tubby.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:39 am

The Wick 1L is the most underrated mouthpiece in tubadom. Whatever you want out of a mouthpiece, the Wick 1L (and straight 1 for small shank receivers) just has more of it.

It's limitations: 1) it is so deep you can crack on it if you're not warmed up to it (@ 1 7/8, deeper than a Conn Helleberg 120); 2) rims are a very personal thing, of course, and to me the Wick rim is very similar to a Bach or Kelly 18; 3) with its 8.4mm throat, it can take a lot of air (a LOUD LM-7 and a G&W Taku actually have a smaller throat); 4) there are mouthpieces that do one particular aspect or another better, for example, a LOUD does have crystal clear articulation, and the Wick 1L is a little bit rounder or less of an edge in that regard; 6) it is broad enough that you might want to use a different mouthpiece outdoors that has even more core, overtones and projection even at the expense of breadth and warmth, as I do with a Kelly 18 outdoors, for that reason and because of the inherent ability of Lexan to resist temperature extremes.

But this is more than offset by its advantages as an overall package: 1) Both core and breadth in spades; 2) excellent intonation and consistency of tone color in all registers; 3) counterintuitive: with the efficiency of the cup, even being so deep, I can get a better high end in all aspects as well as low, better than some of the other popular mouthpieces for high end; 4) the cup is a moderate width (1.28 ), so it will fit a variety of embouchures and not feel like a bathtub; 5) also counterintuitive, even with the deep funnel cup, it is not necessarily a "dark" mouthpiece, but rich and full with good foundation and overtones. 6) I have played it in a variety of contexts, from small groups to large community bands, and I have not found a situation where it did not support and blend perfectly with the requirements of the ensemble.

Your mileage may vary, but the destination is the same. I started using a 1 on my Besson, as it was designed for it. When I bought my Miraphone, I tried some of the other "popular" mouthpieces, but just couldn't get what I wanted out of it, so I bought a used 1L from Greg on this forum and everything just opened completely up for me.

Yes, a lot of people will not like the Wick 1 or 1L. But if you play a moderate sized cup diameter and rim profile, it is one mouthpiece to definitely include on your short list.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:54 am

And if you do like a heavier mouthpiece, there is a 1XL as well.

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:55 pm

Although, the rim used to be different (fatter and more rounded) on the 1XL. Is that still the case?

It is comparable to the more generous Yamaha rims, but not as rounded on the inside. I think the less rounded-ness allows one to have more control on the upper end.

One thing I've noticed about rounded interiors is that, as I go for higher notes, the lips pull away from the internal rounded edge, and the result is like the mouthpiece getting bigger -- which is not what I want.

tuba · Post by **tuba** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:23 am

I've used a Wick 1L for ten years. Great mouthpiece, just seems to produce a sound like no other.

Tubatoad · Post by **Tubatoad** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:37 pm

I've been using a Wick 1L on my Cerveny 683 for about 3 years, and it works great. With my face configuration I've always needed a larger mouthpiece than most folks, so this combination of the 1L with a 3/4 horn (albeit larger bore than most) works well for me. I often have to play pretty softly with my small church orch, and the Wick fills the bill there too. Funny thing though - since playing the Wick, when I change mouthpieces (I like to experiment), I still sound like me, even with pretty radical changes. The little Kelly 24 makes the upper range easier to center, but the sound is the same.